Feathers of a Dodrio
by Mini-Cujo
Summary: Ike has a number of things on his mind: Racing, his family, his pokemon, and Team Rocket. But when doing a favor turns into a relationship and a job into do or die things become complicated.  Contains male relationship.
1. Thoughts

I'm not sure why my sister was crying on the phone, she was only 8, all that I recall that while I'm watching my egg wiggle back and forth on a pillow under a heat lamp. While Lizzy is soon being held in my older brother's arms, I'm watching as an odd two headed bird form out of the egg and is looking at me.

She was crying over her pen pal who seemed to have been sent to the hospital, I was thinking names for my new dodou. I didn't pay much attention until I heard that he had been struck by lightning, but it was nothing new. People were always struck down by storms it made no difference that this kid was to have the same done to him.

So in the end I watched my brother and sister leave to the city in hopes to see this pen pal while I remained behind with the rest of the pokemon and Chase.

Yet here I am leading him to this trap, why was it you to meet such a creature? It's funny, I hated you for beating me, I was put off by the fact that I had to help you, and yet here I am musing on wither or not I should turn you in or not.

I'm sorry friend, but I'll pull Chase back, I'll let you take the lead both you and Ark and call on Noctowl to make things quick. Your lucky.


	2. A Questionable Race

The mist covered land was a wonderful sight as the light was captured on little drops of dew. Yet laying among the tall grass a brown haired teen was asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around a travel bag. Next him a partly asleep Dodrio was dozing off while one head was looking around boredly at the now brightening area.

Yet at the sound of hoof beats, one of the heads looked over at it before calling and waking the other two heads who were slowly waking to the sounds. They talked to each other before standing up and stretching before pecking the boy on the head a few times.

"Gah Chase what is it?" the boy asked as he waved his arm about trying to get the bird to stop only to look up as a fellow racer on a raidash was running past them with a laugh.

"Looks like I got first this time Ike!" the kid yelled before nudging his pokemon to run faster.

"Dang it!" he muttered as he looked around before pulling himself up from the ground and went to pull the travel back onto his back and went to climb onto Chase. "Come on, Chase!" he shouted as he was jerked back as the large bird pokemon started to give chase to the other racer.

In no time thought Ike managed to catch up with the other racer and grinned as he looked at him as his hair was whipped about. "Come on Chase almost there!" he shouted as he spotted a hot air balloon that marked the halfway point to the city.

The three headed bird cawed loudly before passing up the other racer as Ike could do nothing more then hold on for dear life.

Next to him the other racer shouted at their pokemon before allowing them to both look over at each other as their mounts raced down the streets and into the city charging for the checkered finish line that was panted on the road.

"Come on Chase, almost there." he muttered holding onto the feathers in hopes to make him go faster and pull ahead of the other trainer.

The echoing voice of the announcer as well as the crowds shouts were soon becoming over bearing as they drew closer to the line as even a large video screen with racers marked with their places surrounded the screen though the main part was focused on the two of them.

"Five time winner Ike Clarmart and his Dodrio , Chase , are giving three time winner Jeremy Hines and his Rapidash a run for their money!"

Ike looked over his brown eyes locking on the brownish red eyes of the others pokemon and gritted his teeth when he noticed that his bag was getting heavier and that they were slowing down.

He looked back at his bag slightly, someone was out of their ball, and that was making them heavier. "Sh-" he muttered as the other racer managed to beat them to their finish line and soon they followed in in second.

Yet Chase was squawking as he noticed that his back was getting heavier and snorted some before turning around to snap at the bag on Ike's back. Ike raised a hand to block the beak from one of the heads only to be pecked by the other two and soon slipped off of him before they went to peck the bag on his back.

"Chase, Chase, stop!" he said as he heard a small cry from his bag as it was smashed between him and the ground. Yet the three headed bird raised its heads and calmed down before turning its attention to a water and food bowl that was carted near by and wandered off to it. Thus allowing some of the track workers to move over to him to help him up.

"You okay?" one of the guys asked as Ike was helped up.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, he's just a bit annoyed that I packed too much food this time around." he said as he managed to stand up and dust himself off. He shifted his back assuming that it was a small and young pokemon that had gotten lose as weighted them down at the last moment.

The people laughed nodding their heads and patting his shoulder before telling him that he had gotten second and that the award ceremony would be held in an hour once all the other racers were to cross the finish line.

Once the crowds had moved past him and onto the person who got third helping both the sore rider and the now tired pokemon who had just placed third in their first race.

"Chase come on," he called as he moved the bag infornt of him and started walking as Chase soon finished up gulping down some water and soon took up with following his trainer out into a resting tent which was luckily empty allowing both Ike and Chase to wander in and close up the tent before going behind some curtains to keep them hidden.

Ike tossed the bag onto the cot and went to look behind him before opening a hidden zipper only to have a small mudkip wiggle out of the bag making Chase glare at it. The small water pokemon gave a small yelp as it notice that it was face to face with an annoyed bird.

"Chase calm down," Ike said as he patted the back of the middle bird's head and moved infront of the smaller pokemon with a large bulky black ball in hand. "Okay little guy back in the ball." he said as he pointed it at the pokemon only to have a small and weak water gun fired at him causing him to sighed and shake his head. "Mudkip return," he ordered watching as the red light came out of the larger ball and took up the pokemon who was too busy looking at Chase once again.

Once the pokemon was back in its ball he took out a metal key and inserted it into the front of the pokeball. Turning it to the right until it clicked Ike sighed and watched as the pokeball became smaller then before and soon look like nothing more then a small mini black pokeball.

"All done, just need to hand them off and I'll be done." he muttered as he placed the ball back into the bag and looked in to make sure that there were no more open or unlocked balls rolling around in his bag. _'Note to self find that guy and have him retrained.'_

Zipping up the bag once again Ike sighed and looked at Chase who was circling his spot to get comfortable to sleep at. He smiled lightly at him before he placed the bag behind him and laid down on it, using it like a pillow Ike drifted off into a light nap before he had someone calling his name.

"Ike, you got a message from a Lizzy Clarmart, said for you to call her once you were done." said a track member who was holding a note book filled with messages that he had received over the past three days of the race.

"Okay, I'll call her once I get to the center, " he muttered placing his arm over his face as he tried to ignore the sounds of the outside crowd chanting the name of some in town racer. "Oh one more thing, how many racers have crossed yet?"

"The next one will be in 17th place. We'll do role call before the ceremony will start." the man said as he pressed his head set close to his head and gave a small wave at Ike before leaving the closed off area.

There were only twenty racers and by the sounds of it they were pulling close to the end of the race.

"Chase, what do you think sis wants?" he mused not bothering to try and fall asleep again.

The dodrio tilted its heads at Ike before going back to mutter with its self making Ike chuckle a bit, "Maybe your right, she might want to just talk, must be getting bored of that guy she's been traveling about with. " he smiled musing what his younger sister would be wanting. "Unless of course it could have to do with her getting us all together for her internship in New Bark Town. Thats only what," Ike reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn out old map and looked around before spotting the town. "It's only a half days trip away from here. Maybe she got Thomas to get off the farm." he added looking over at Chase who was fast asleep except for the one head that looked at him.


	3. It pays for the food

Note: I'm making up cities for this story, sorry for any confusion that has been made due to this.

* * *

><p>It took some time but after a while Ike managed to get Chase up and out of the tent, the dodrio had been cawing and squawking at him but after a while Ike found his head and shoulders being the resting place for Chase.<p>

The crowds were shouting and cheering as the first five racers and their pokemon lined up in front of the large screen. Yet it was Jeremy who was grinning as he went to elbow Ike.

"So much for winning this time, what slowed you guys down a half eaten sandwich? " he asked as Ike smirked and chuckled a bit.

Ike was still upset over the fact that both him and Chase were slowed down by the Mudkip that got out of its pokeball but there was nothing he could really do about it here. There was just too many people around.

"No, my castform got out and was just causing more weight then needed in my bag." he lied as he looked at the man who was handing placement pins as well as bronze, silver, or gold medals to the top three racers.

"You keep your pokemon in your bag when racing?" the other boy questioned as he looked at Ike confused only to look down at the medal and shoke the judges hand.

"Yes, it keeps them out of trouble and from falling out." he said as he looked at the boy before rising the medal up in the air like the others.

Jeremy only looked at Ike confused before sticking his medal in the air marking the end of the race.

*****************************

As the crowds started to die off Ike sighed as he headed over to the local poke center to drop his pokemon off to be checked on. Mainly he was worried about Chase seeing how the sudden weight gain on his back while running wasn't really good for him at high speeds.

"Okay, I'll be back with your pokemon." smiled Nurse Joy as she took up a tray filled with six pokeballs and moved to the back room as Chansey with a small nurse's hat walked up front with a tray with four pokeballs on it while looking for a trainer.

Giving a small sigh he reached back to pop his back as he walked over to the multimedia phones which were lined up along the walls. Ike had made sure to retrieve the phone number that his sister had called from and soon typed it in hoping that he could talk to his younger sister in one go instead of having to look for her.

With the small beeps of the number pad forming a small pattern as Ike punched in the numbers he smiled lightly as he waited for the signal to connect.

But his smile soon dropped as another Nurse Joy appeared on the screen with a smile, "This is Sea Port City's Nurse Joy, may I ask who your looking for?" The Joy asked as she looked at the camera on top of the monitor in front of her as she held the phone to her head.

"Yes, I'm looking for an Lizzy Clarmart, she's my younger sister." he said as he soon watched her ask for the guest book list and waited as she went through the book before she gave a smile to him.

"Oh yes, she's here with a friend. I'm sorry but they stepped out not to long ago, it would be best if you call again in an hour or so but I'll pass the message that you called for her."

Ike mearly nodded his head and soon hung up before looking at the back room doors before shifting his large bag and headed for the door.

He needed to call to have these balls picked up, but these multimedia phones weren't safe enough to use in a public space. Heading into the city he smiled as he soon noticed a familiar jeep that was driving around and went over to a normal phone and dialed in.

"I'll meet you at the meeting place." he said before hanging up and walked out to the car. "You a friend of a friend?" he asked before getting a nod. "Good, lets get going." he said as he opened the door to the jeep and climbed in placing his large bag on his lap and buckled up.

Without a word the two soon drove out of the city and soon out to a outdoor market where a number of people were out walking around with their pokemon. The main item on sale, berries and the smell of them was even drawing some wild pokemon into the area in attempts to sneak a bite or two in before being spotted and chased off from the sales.

The jeep pulled up into a crowded parking space, and soon came to a halt as the driver waited for Ike to get out. "Go past the stripped tents there should be someone there." the driver said as he watched Ike pull his bag out and didn't bother to wave or make any movement to Ike as he left the jeep and disappear in the crowds.

Moving past a number of people and pokemon who were busy looking over the fresh fruit and even items that were for sale, Ike quickly passed past a number of people who payed no attention to him as he passed up the stripped tents where a houndoom gave a gruff bark catching Ike's attention.

With nothing more then a look around Ike turned and started to follow the fire /dark pokemon and walked until he was in a tent where some men in uniforms quickly turned to look at him.

"Whats your name?" one man asked as he came up to Ike who frowned.

"Have we changed our polices now?" Ike questioned as he looked at the houndoom and then at the Rocket who owned it. He glared at the Rocket before he found that the other mans gaze dropped.

"Sorry sir, we've been on a tight time limit." the man said as he backed off allowing Ike to walk to a table filled with crates of berries which seemed to have been bugged with fabled trackers. The scam was to be unseen by not only trainers but pokemon as well as they were to feed on the berries allowing rocket teams to track and pick out only the strongest pokemon to steal.

Ike took a quick look around as the other Rockets quickly went back to work, "Well tell the guy who gave me these to next time check them before giving them to me." Ike said as he unzipped the bag and went to dump it in a bag that was being held for him.

He muttered angerly under his breath, still sore from the blotched race, as he poured the incased pokeballs out into the bag and was able to listen to the sound of metal clashing with more metal as a number of balls clashed. The men only looked at him but kept working before they pulled out a envelope that was thick in cash and waited to hand it to Ike.

Once all the balls were in another bag he turned only to spot one rocket looking at him with a envelope. "Whats that?" he asked knowing that his payment was in cash but it wasn't that much.

"Your payment for the mission and then some for costing you the race as well, we figured something had gone wrong when we were watching it." he said with a frown as Ike mearly looked at the money and sighed before nodding his head and took it up.

"Okay then, contact me with the next big one when you need me." he said as he pocketed the cash and thought about buying some of his pokemon some of the berries that were on sale. Mainly ones that were not filled with the tracker chips that allowed his pokemon to be watched and even turned on him. He thought about asking but they would probably get annoyed with that. Rubbing his head some he yawned slightly as he was now ready to fall into bed and remain there for the rest of the day.

The men only nodded their heads as he left and sighed a bit as he walked out of the tent. "How the heck is he a higher class then us?" one asked annoyed.

A few of the men shrugged not sure, "How much you want to bet Hank is going to get demoted for messing up?" another asked making some people turn to look at the man before Hank popped his head out from under the table.

"Why me? I didn't make him lose the race, its bad enough you all told me to hide when he was in here." Poor Hank a grunt who had just made it to working on jobs rather then cleaning up their work spaces. He had just walked into the tent only to be pushed under a table while Ike was busy emptying his bag into one of theirs.

"Because the boss was watching the race you dolt. He puts money on Ike on all of his races why do you think he's upset about you not checking the balls?" one rocket said as he looked at Hank who went pale at the news that he had just messed up.

"Giovanni going to fry him if he lost a bet, and then its going to boil down to you Hank." another Rocket said as she handed him a crate of berries to be put out in front for sale. Hank took up the crate with a heavy sigh and muttered a bit before taking out the berries, so much for moving up the ranks now.


	4. Secretes, lies, and scoldings

Leaving the berry farmer's market, Ike made sure to grab a pound of mixed berries for his pokemon before heading to the jeep where he was able to hitch a ride back to the city. Once left on the streets he only looked around briefly before he started to walk back to the poke center.

"Oh there you are, your pokemon are all rested up." Nurse joy said pulling out a tray with his pokeballs on it as he walked in. While it was odd that he was singled out of the many to get his pokemon back he only took them up and went over to the phones.

'I should probably leave here after the call.' he thought not sure why he was singled out like so when trainers had to go up and ask for their pokemon back. Shaking his paranoia off his mind he typed in the number for Sea Port City's Poke center and waited only to see another Nurse Joy there with a smile on her face.

"Ahh you called back, one moment." she said as she soon ushered Ike's younger sister to the phone.

"Ike! I saw your race, what happened? You were just about to beat him and you both slowed down." The two years younger girl seemed to bounce with her questions as she talked. Even though she had almost a professional look about her with her glasses and bob cut she seemed to still act as a kid.

"Uh, castform got out of his pokeball." Ike managed to mutter thinking about what she had said making sure he answered her questions. "Uh what happened to just saying hi?" he asked looking at her.

Lizzy laughed some before shaking her head. "You look tired Ike, but yes hi. How is my loveless brother?" she asked with a smile making Ike shake his head with a frown.

"I'm not loveless."

"Really we haven't heard anything about any girlfriend or boyfriends," Lizzy said only to get Ike to turn red.

"I told you Liz I'm not gay and that I'm busy, I can't take time off for some relationship." he said as he rubbed his eyes. "Lizzy why did you call? " he asked with a tired sigh.

His sister pouted at his response but held up a paper with a seal on it. "I passed my lab aid test, I get to be a lab aid for Professor Harwell over in New Bark Town." she said with a smile only to brighten up some more as she watched a smile come over her brother's face.

"Thats great, have you told Thomas? " he asked only to get a rapid nod.

"You were the last one." she said "When I found you the race had just started and I found out that you didn't take a radio so I had to leave a message. " she said annoyed "You should take a radio with you I've been hearing that those Team Rockets have been attacking anyone with strong pokemon." she said in a worried tone making Ike shrug.

"I'll be fine Liz, "

"Ike, I'm not joking. We've already heard of trainers being ambushed and having their pokemon stolen from them. And besides Chase is a medal winner in races they might take him for his speed." Ike gave a glare to his sister and shoke his head.

"They won't okay, and if they do come after me I'll just out run them okay." he said trying to bite down his annoyance with the subject while his sister blinked and looked down some.

"Okay Ike, but can you please be careful when your doing your thing? Ever since you went on that year long training you haven't been acting as your self." she asked looking at him feeling that her brother was tucking himself back into a corner. But she gave a sigh at her brother's look and went on talking "Anyways before I go can you come here to Sea Port City? I need to ask you to do a favor for me."

Ike sighed and leaned against the stand with the phone still in hand. "What kind of favor? " he asked thinking it was another set up date.

"It's nothing much just that since I'm going to be an aid and I have to leave in a bit I thought that you can come over and travel around with my friend. He's a trainer and his next gym battle is in the same town as where you go and practice at for the Fall races. I would feel better if he traveled with you since he kind of gets lost easily." she said with a hopeful smile.

"So you want me to baby sit someone for you? " he asked only to get an annoyed face from his sister.

"Well yes in a way. But he's not that bad his pokemon will keep him out of trouble. I promise you he's not that bad." she said with a pleading face before getting her brother to nod his head.

"Okay, I'll go pick him up then." he said with a sigh giving up before his sister was to guilt trip him into doing so. "When do you want me there?" he asked

"Can you come tomorrow? So then we can all have lunch and relax a bit after he comes out of the eye doctors." she said making her brother nod his head.

"Okay then I'll be there." He said only to hear his sister tell him goodbye and hung up. Once the screen went blank he shoke his head and went to leave deciding that getting away from this city would be good. "Always asking too many questions." he muttered as he started to walk out to the thicker part of the city knowing that there was a bridge that he could take to get on his way to Sea Port City.

Walking on foot for most of the day Ike soon called it a rest when he found a rest stop and decided that he was far enough from any questionable people. Finding that the area had a small cabin for travelers to change and shower in he quickly pulled out his pokemon and allowed all six to be set out.

Chase cawed before looking around as noctowl fluttered its wings and cocked its head to the side looking around the area. Maquerain and castform simply floated and cheered some to being let out of their pokeballs while eevee and raichu looked around slightly before looking back at Ike.

"There you are have a run around while I freshen up okay, and keep out of the bag okay. I need to make sure that its safe you all before you get into it." he said before pulling out some travel sized soap and shower shoes before heading in to clean up.

Heading in Ike quickly got undressed and pulled the hand gun out from his hidden holster and placed it under his clothes. While he had never fired it at a person before it was the same one that he was issued when he went up in the ranks. But while he wished to never use it there was going to be a time that he was going to have to follow orders sooner or later to the dot.

With his pokemon looking around they soon settled to do as they pleased while Chase took up guarding not only the bag but also keeping an eye on the others while Ike was away. But with the sounds of water stopping he soon turned to look at Ike while the rest of the pokemon ran and flew over to him as soon as they saw him with the bag off berries and a knife.

After feeding time Ike allowed his pokemon to run around a bit more though Chase was asleep still though once he finished his own dinner he called them back and soon passed out from the long day.

It wasn't long until the sounds of everything else around him seemed to die down allowing Ike to sleep soundlessly. But with the dark night seeming to swallow everything in reach Ike was quickly falling into a dream only to be hit in the face with a wing. he blinked a bit with a groan as he tried to think why Chase would ever hit him with a wing only to see that he had put Chase up for the night and was looking at a murkrow who held what looked like a communicator in its beak.

"What do you have there?" Ike muttered more asleep then away as he reached to the pokemon only to have it drop the communicator in his hand and hop a few steps away. Confused he soon thought that it was from some rocket in the area and clicked the screen where it light up.

An image of Giovanni popped up onto the screen making Ike swallow as he knew what was going on now. "Well if that wasn't the most embarrassing loss that you've had. Mind telling me what happened?" the business man and leader of Team Rocket asked as he sat back in his chair with his persain next to him looking right at the screen.

Ike swallowed and took a deep breath, "One of the pokemon got out of their pokeballs when we were coming up to the finish line. A mudkip, sir." he said as the boss frowned and made Ike feel nervous inside.

"One pokemon?" Giovanni frowned as he seemed to be messing with some papers on his desk. "I know that your Pokemon dodrio is able to top speeds at around 70 mph faster then any other known Dodrio. A few pounds shouldn't be too hard on him if your running with him." he said as he pulled himself into view. "If not I'll take him for training and not your version of it." he said with a frown making Ike shake his head.

"No sir, it was just the fact that it caught us off guard sir. Theres no need to take him." Ike said knowing that he would have to pick up the pace if he wanted to keep his pokemon safe.

"Then there better be perfection next time. I don't care if you play dirty or not you will win at the next match." he threatened making Ike nod his head before the screen went black with a beep making the murkrow look up from its scratching and hop over taking the communicator away from Ike and flew off.

Ike made sure to keep an eye on the dark pokemon before giving a sigh and pulled his legs closer to him. He had been worried that Giovanni was going to be harsh on him, but it seemed that he managed to keep out of harms way by a second or two.


End file.
